Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini – Fits Your Pocket Size

BY /February 6, 2014 10:22 am

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is a version of smartphones which is easy on the weight as well as the pocket.

The mini version was released in July 2013 worldwide. The GS4 mini version was released for regular users with the basic smart phone needs. One year since the release, the users are rather dissatisfied with the features offered by the phone. The phone is deceivingly named as ‘GS4 mini’ whereas the features do not match its elder brother.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini is a petite clone of the GS4. The basic structure of the phone remains similar to the GS4. The phone continues to have a plastic body with the metal band separating the screen and battery cover. The external look and feel is the same with a slightly curved handset structure. GS4 mini is lighter at 107g and thinner than the GS4 at 8.94 mm. The sleek design ensures that the handset fits snugly in the palm. The handset is well designed for a better grip too. The plastic body is a bit disappointing as it gives the phone a cheap look.

Features

The GS4 mini packs a few features similar to its bigger version but the Samsung developers have left out many smart features. The Air view, Air gesture and Smart pause features fail to make the cut. Although these features are not essential for every user, a few tech savvy users might notice the absence. The limited number of highlights the phone can boast of are:

The handset sports 1.7GHZ dual core Snapdragon processors with 1.5GB RAM. The processor is adequate for the basic tasks of a smart phone. The mobile phone users who are proficient at using quad core processors might notice some lag but a normal user would be rewarded with a smooth functioning. Other than the advanced mobile games, the phone continues to behave naturally without any delay in opening web pages or switching between calls.

The GS4 mini runs on an Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS which is definitely more than value for money. It is also a Touch wiz phone like many others from the Samsung’s laboratory. The phone’s interface is quite straightforward and user friendly. The few left out features like LED notification seem to upset the regular customer. The phone continues to have some features like S travel S Health Group Play and Home Sync.

It has an 8 MP rear view camera and a 1.9 MP front camera. Some of the advanced camera modes from GS4 are not included. The phone camera quality is great compared to the price range. The HDR mode helps get better quality pictures. The video quality is also worth a mention. The interface for camera functioning is similar to that of GS4. Some of the users complain of a minuscule shutter lag which can be a bit frustrating when you are trying to capture movement. The night mode and low light photos lose their quality because of the mid range camera specifications.

The built in storage is also less when compared to similar phones. The 8GB memory is not sufficient to hold much data or apps other than the basic necessities and possibly a bit more.

The Final Call

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is a good mid range handset for regular users. It works well for Samsung loyalists who are looking for a pocket friendly handset but disappoints others. The failed targets in terms of technology innovation and specialty features cause the S4Mini to miss the mark. The mobile phone buyers can get better performing non Samsung Handsets at a similar or a slightly higher price. The S4 Mini does not pose any allure for the buyers.